FARMGRANT COUNTY PROFILE · PUBLIC USDA DATA

McDowell County, North Carolina

$51,526 in USDA farm subsidies to county recipients (2024)

Opportunity Score: 65/100

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USDA Farm Subsidies — McDowell County

$51,526 in USDA farm subsidies to McDowell County recipients (2024).

Sum of payments to 6 recipients in this county, EWG Farm Subsidy Database (totalfarm), 2024 single year.

Program Breakdown (selected programs, EWG/USDA 2024)

Disaster Payments $49,979
Dairy Programs $1,547

Selected program components shown individually. These are separate EWG/USDA pulls and are not additive to the headline subsidy total — no combined "total" is shown. Source: EWG Farm Subsidy Database / USDA, 2024.

Crop Insurance Premium Subsidy

$98,045 in federal crop-insurance premium subsidy (RMA, 2024).

This is a separate program total (premium-subsidy dollars only) — it is not part of the subsidy headline above and is shown on its own. Source: USDA RMA via EWG, 2024.

Top Subsidy Recipients

# Recipient 2024 Total
1 Harvest Farm LLC $22,799
2 J.T.C. $14,687
3 Beacon Village Farm LLC Danielle M Hutchison Sole $8,087
4 Compadres Produce Inc $4,299
5 English Dairy Farm $1,547
6 S.L.M. $107

Top recipients by EWG totalfarm (2024). These named payments sum toward the headline total above. Source: EWG Farm Subsidy Database.

About Farming in McDowell County

McDowell County has roughly 298 farms working about 17,041 acres of land in farms (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture), averaging ~57 acres per farm.

In McDowell County, non-irrigated cropland rents for roughly $46/acre and farmland is valued near $7,524/acre (USDA NASS).

Local signals from public data: Below-average USDA $/acre vs. state; Rural county — eligible for rural-priority programs.

FarmGrant Opportunity Score

65 out of 100
High Opportunity
#18 of 100 in North Carolina (83rd pctile)
83rd national percentile
Funding Gap? 20.0/25
Program Eligibility? 9.0/25
Insurance Opportunity? 25.0/25
Economic Need? 11.0/25
What drives this score
  • Below-average USDA $/acre vs. state
  • Rural county — eligible for rural-priority programs
  • Notable veteran population (7.9%)
  • Very high loss ratio (6.79) — disaster programs likely applicable
  • Low insured-policy density (0.1 policies/farm)
  • Moderate poverty (15.1%)
  • Below-average income ($53,697)

An opportunity-gap indicator (0–100) built from up to four public-data components — not a prediction that any farm will get funding or qualifies for a program. Sources: USDA ERS, NASS, RMA, and EWG subsidy records.

USDA Funding Per Acre

Historically, McDowell County received about $3.02 per acre of farmland in USDA subsidies. That ranks #1,988 of 3,032 U.S. counties for USDA dollars per farmland acre.

2024 USDA subsidy $ (EWG totalfarm) ÷ land-in-farms acres (17,041 acres, USDA NASS 2022 Census). A descriptive county-wide statistic — not a prediction of what any individual farm received or will receive.

See how McDowell County ranks against all U.S. counties →

County Land Economics & Demographics

Population
44,893
(2023, USDA ERS)
Median Income
$53,697
(USDA ERS)
Poverty Rate
15.1%
(USDA ERS)
Unemployment
3.2%
(USDA ERS)
Cropland Rent
$46/ac
(USDA NASS, non-irrig.)
Land Value
$7,524/ac
(USDA NASS, 2022 Census)
Insurance Policies
16
(USDA RMA)
Acres Insured
250
(USDA RMA)

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much USDA funding does McDowell County receive?

McDowell County recipients received about $51,526 in USDA farm subsidies in 2024, per the EWG Farm Subsidy Database (totalfarm). This is a single-year county total of recorded payments, not a forecast of future funding.

What USDA programs are available to farmers in McDowell County?

Farmers may be eligible for a range of USDA programs — conservation (e.g. CRP, EQIP), commodity support (ARC/PLC), disaster assistance, federal crop insurance, and FSA loans. Eligibility depends on your farm; use the free Subsidy Finder to see programs you could qualify for.

How is the FarmGrant Opportunity Score calculated?

The Opportunity Score (0–100; 65 for McDowell County) is an opportunity-gap indicator built from up to four public-data components — funding gap, program eligibility, insurance opportunity, and economic need — using USDA ERS, NASS, RMA, and EWG records. It is not a prediction that any farm will receive funding or qualifies for a specific program.

Nearby Counties in North Carolina

Could your farm benefit?

Farms in McDowell County may qualify for USDA programs based on crop, conservation, and disaster activity. Run the free Subsidy Finder to see which programs you could qualify for, then prep your local USDA office visit.

Find Your Programs Prep USDA Visit Deadlines

Data as of June 02, 2026. Subsidy figures: USDA/EWG 2024 release. Farmland acres: USDA NASS 2022 Census. Opportunity score refreshed monthly. Each figure above carries its own data year; this page is never fresher than its oldest input.